Spike pulling grapple



July 19, 1960 s. R'. HURSH 2,945,674

7 SPIKE PULLING GRAPPLE Original Filed Jan. 28, 1954 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2-H613. Ema

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ATTORNEYS.

' spike from the track tie.

United States Patent SPIKE PULLING GRAPPLE Samuel R. Hursh, 423 BrynMawr Ave., Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

application Jan. 28, 1954, Ser. No. 406,645 now Patent No. 2,826,446,dated Mar. 11, 1958. D1- vided and this application Oct. 14, 1957, Ser.No.

6 Claims. (Cl. 254-18) This invention relates to a spike pullinggrapple, and more particularly concerns a device for withdrawing spikesfrom objects such as ties of railroad tracks and the like. Thisapplication is a division of my copending application Serial No.406,645, filed January 28, 1954,

now US. Patent No. 2,826,446.

While mechanical spike pulling devices have been proposed from time totime for effecting the removal of spikes from railroad ties, these havenot been successful to any great extent since they have been heavy 'andbulky as well as diflicult to adapt for removal of spikes disposed atvarious distances from the rails with which they are associated.Moreover, several manual operations have been necessary in connectionwith the use of such machines, including the steps of engaging thegripping element of the tool or machine with the spike, positioning andbracing the tool or machine with respect to the spike, and removing thespike from the gripping element of the tool or machine after it iswithdrawn.

Patented July 19, 1960 ice ' on said base, a grapple suspended from saidframe in position to engage and disengage the spike to be pulled,

a jack element on said base having capacity to slide said For theforegoing reasons it has been conventional in railroad practice toemploy a lever or clawbar to.- gether with appropriate Wedge means toapply lifting force to the base of the spike head for withdrawing theSuch operations necessarily require extensive manual labor. Moreover byreason of extended exposure to the elements, spikes frequently becomecorroded in the area of the shaft immediately below the spike head aswell as the head itself; accordingly the exertion of upwardly directedforce upon the spike head is undesirable in that the spike has atendency to break under tension at the corroded area. As a result thespike head is pulled from the spike shaft which remains in place in thetie. Subsequent removal of the shaft from the track tie is difficult andin some cases the shaft must be driven through the tie with a driftpunch, a costly and undesirable feature. Removal of railroad spikes bymeans of clawbars and wedges as well as-conventional spike pullingmachines is also dangerous in that spike heads tend to be liberatedsuddenly by breaking because of corrosion and to fly into the air,endangering personnel, this being a source ofmany personal injuries.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a compact, andreadily portable machine for withdrawing spikes from objects into whichthey have been driven. It is another object of this invention to providea fluid operated spike pulling machine which may readily be bracedagainst a track rail to effect withdrawal of the spikes from the ties ofthe track bed. Still another object is to provide a spike pullingmachine having automatic means for engaging and releasing the spike tobe pulled. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a machinefor withdrawing corroded or otherwise weakened spikes from the objectsinwhich they are embedded. It is still a further object ofthe inventionto provide a device for withdrawing large numbers of spikes, one at atime, which is automatically rendered inoperative after each spike iswithdrawn, and may immediately be re-positioned above the nextsuccessive spike to effect rigid frame up and down relative to saidbase, operating means for operating said jack element, and relievingmeans operative in response to the control means for releasing a spikeafter extraction and permitting the jack to return to a proper positionfor engaging another spike.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section of a spike pulling machineconveniently embodying my present invention, the machine being shown inposition for withdrawing a rail holding spike from a point adjacent atrack rail shown in cross section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in section taken as indicated by the angledarrows 11-11 in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are front views of the grapple portion of the machineshowing the movements of important parts in the operation of thegrapple.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by the angledarrows VI-VI in Fig. 4.'

Figs. 7 and 8 show front views of the machine further illustrating itsconstruction and operation.

With more specific reference to these illustrations, it will be notedthat the grapple housing of the device designated 200, is threaded to apair of vertical rods 201 which reciprocate up and down in response to ahydraulic mechanism 202.

The grapple housing 200 has two fixed posts 203, 203 adjacent its sidewalls near its top. It also includes a central vertically fixed post 204and a central movable slide member or plug 205. A pair of grapples orclaws 206 extends generally vertically in the housing. Each claw 206 hasthree relatively inclined outer cam surfaces 207, 210, 211 and has arounded upper end 212. Adjacent each rounded end 212 is a flat face 213which coacts with a spring-urged press bar 214 mounted in the top of thegrapple housing. Each claw 206 has relatively inclined inner flat camfaces 215, 216 and has a concave face 217 adjacent the fiat face 216.Adjacent to the con cave faces 217 are concave notches 220 having acylindrical curvature of the same radius as plug 205 about which theclaws are 'fulcrumed. Below the concave notch 220 of each claw is a flatface 221, and below face 221 is an inwardly angled claw end 222 which isshaped to grip the spike shank below its head.

Pivoted to the sides of the grapple housing 220, each at one end, are apair of link bars 230 each of which has a slotted connect-ion at itsother end with the central movable plug 205. Each link bar 230 isundercut at 231 at its outer or pivoted end, forming a fiat contactsurface 232. Arranged to co-act with the flat surfaces 232 of the linkbars is a pair of stops 233 which are bolted to the sides of a part 35again referred to hereinafter, said part being slotted at 234 forpurposes of adjustment of said stops.

The operation of the grapple will be apparent from Figs. 3-6. In Fig. 3,the rods 201 have moved down to the spike, the bottoms of theclaws 206,206 have contacted the'spike, and the housing 200 has been forcedfurther downwardly relative to claws 206, 206, thereby compressing thesprings of press bar 214. Concurrentlywith such relative movement, thefixed posts 203 force cam follower surfaces 207 inwardly. The result isthat the claws concurrently slide and rock until they are open, clearingthe spike head. Claws 206, 206 are then pushed downwardly by the pressbar 214, the fixed post 204 bearing against the surfaces 216, 216,thereby closing the claws firmly, by combined sliding and rockingmovement, on the spike shank. When claws 206, 206 move downwardly, theyforce plug 205 to move downwardly swinging the link bars 230, 230downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4.

Lifting force is then applied to the rods 201,201, as indicated by thearrows in Fig. 4. The flat faces 210, 210 are locked flat against theside walls of grapple housing 200, this being accomplished by fixed post204 and inner inclined faces 216, 216. After the spike is drawn clear ofthe tie, the contacts 232 are forced against thecorresponding stops2'33, 233 thereby swinging" link bars 230, 230 upwardly to the positionshown in Fig. 5. This slides the inclined faces 207 against the plugs203 which spreads the claws 206, 206, releasing the spike.

The hydraulic mechanism 202 is best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and asshown, is mounted on the part 35 which bears upon the top of'the trackrail 22 and which hasa leg to rest upon the tie 23. The number 250designatesa housingfor a reservoir 251 containing hydraulic fluid; Atube 252 extends vertically through the reservoir 251. A piston.253,reciprocable up and down in tube 252, is connectedby a threaded bush-ing254 to a vertically adjustable externally threaded center post 255.Center post 255 is fixed to a cross arm 256 to which the verticallyreciprocable rods 201, 201 (Figs. 3, 4) are attached.

A plunger reservoir 260 contains fluid which is pumped by a reciprocableplunger 261. On the down stroke of plunger 261 the fluid flows through acheck valve 262 and passage 263, lifting the piston 253. On the upstroke of plunger 261, fluid is drawn out of reservoir 251 throughpassage 264 and check valve 265 into reservoir 260. In this manner, thejack is raised by reciprocating the plunger 261. This is convenientlyaccomplished manually, using a handle 266.

Hydraulic release means are provided for quickly lowering the jack inresponse to movement of handle 266, after the spike has been withdrawn.Plunger 261 has a transverse passage 270 (Figs. 1, 2) which comes intoalignment with a pair of passages 271, 272 when the plunger 261 is drawnup to itsupper limit as determined by a pair of stop members 273, 274(Fig. 1). Fluid is quickly relieved from below the piston 253 throughthe passages 263, 275, 276, 272, 270, 271, 277, 280 and 281 to thereservoir 251. In this manner, after completing the extraction of onespike, the claws are rapidly permitted to descend to a position forengaging another spike, all in response to a simple lifting movement ofthe jack operating handle. Concurrently with the raising and loweringsteps, the claws are automatically brought together and spread apart inaccordance with a predetermined sequence of movements for automaticallyengaging and ejecting the spikes.

While the jack element of the machine is preferably a hydraulic deviceemploying a liquid fluid such as oil or the like as a pressuretransmitting medium, other fluids are contemplated as effective andequivalent pressure transmitting media. It will also be appreciatedthat, although the invention has been described in detail with referenceto two embodiments thereof, it may also be practiced by substituting aWide variety of modifications or equivalents for the elements shown anddescribed herein. All such modifications, including reversals of partsand the use of certain features independently of the use of otherfeatures, are within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined inthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A grapple, for use in a device for withdrawing spikes from trackties, comprising a housing, means for lowering the housing to grip thespike and raising it to withdraw the spike, a pair of spike engaginghooksmounted slidably in saidhousing for movement up and down therein,

resilient means in said housing having a portion bearing against saidhousing and another portion bearing against said hooks, urging saidhooks downwardly relative to said housing as said housing is lowered,said hooks having opposed recesses in which a slidable fulcrum plug islocated, means for moving the hooks about said plug to open them as thehousing is lowered, and to close them upon the spike as the housing israised, a pair of elongated links arranged transversely of said housing,said links being pivotally connected to the housing and havingconnections at their inner ends with said plug, stationary means on afixed'part of the device in the path of the links for actuating saidlinks to cause the hooks to be moved upwardly of the housing inopposition to the resilient means aforesaid as said housing is raised.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the stationary means isvertically adjustable in relation to the fixed part of the device.

3. A grapple, for use in a device for withdrawing spikes from railroadties, comprising a housing having an opening in the bottom thereof, apair of opposed vertically arranged spike engaging clamp elementsslidably mounted for up and down movement in the housing and havingclaws extending out of said bottom opening, a vertically shiftable slidemember on which said clamp elements are interpivoted, link meansfulcrumed at one end to the housing and having a slotted connection atthe other end with said vertically shiftable slide member, spring meanstending to yieldingly urge the clamp elements downward in the housing, amember fixed in the housing and operative by camming action with saidelements to spread the upper ends of the clamp elements apart as theyare urged downwardly by said spring means, means for actuating said linkmeans in response to rise of the housing to shift said verticallyshiftable slide member and the clamp elements in opposition to thespring means, and other means fixed in the housing and operative bycamming action with said clamp elements to spread the lower ends of saidelements apart upon withdrawal of the spike.

4. A grapple, for use in a device for withdrawing spikes from trackties, comprising a housing, means for lowering and raising the housingincident to removing the spike, a pair of opposed vertically arrangedspike engaging hooks slidably mounted, in the housing for up and downmovement therein, said hooks having camming surfaces at their tops andalso at their inner and outer sides, a pin by which the hooks areinter-pivoted, a link fulcrumed at one end' to the housing and having aslotted connection at its other end with said pin, resilient means inthe form of a spring pressed plate operative by coaction with the topcam surfaces of the hooks to depress said hooks in the housing, meansfixed within the housing and operative by coaction with the cam surfacesat the inner sides of the hooks to spread the upper ends of said hooksas they are depressed in the housing, means for actuating the link inresponse to rise of the housing to raise the hooks in opposition to thespring means,

and other means within the housing and operative by coaction with thecam surfaces at the outer sides of the hooks to spread the lower ends ofthe hooks apart upon withdrawal of the spike.

5. A grapple, for use in a device for withdrawing spikes having headsfrom track ties, comprising a hous; ing having an opening in the bottomthereof, means for lowering and raising the housing incident to removinga spike, a pair of spike engaging hooks slidably mounted in said housingfor movement up and down therein, resilient means in said housing havinga portion bearing against said housing and another portion bearingagainst said hooks, urging said hooks downwardly relative to saidhousing, said hooks having opposed recesses in which a slidable fulcrum.plug is located, means operative as the housing islowered to closethehooks under the spike head, a pair of elongated links arrangedtransversely, of said housing, said links being pivotally connected atone end to the housing and having slotted connections at their innerends with said plug, stationary means on a fixed part of the device inthe path of the links for actuating said links to cause the hooks to bemoved upwardly of the housing in opposition to the spring means as saidhousing is raised to extract the spike, and cam means in the housingoperative between the hooks to open them for release of the spike uponits withdrawal from the tie as the housing is fully elevated and thelinks are actuated as aforesaid.

6. A grapple, for use in a device for withdrawing spikes having headsfrom track ties, comprising a housing means for lowering and raising thehousing incident to withdrawing a spike, a pair of spike engaging hooksslidably mounted in said housing for movement up and down therein,resilient means in said housing having a portion bearing against saidhousing and another portion bearing against said hooks, urging saidhooks downwardly relative to said housing, said hooks having opposedrecesses in which a slidable fulcrum plug is located, means operative asthe housing is lowered to close the books under the spike head, a pairof elongated links substantially of equal length arranged transverselyof said housing, said links being pivotally connected at their outerends to opposite sides of the housing and having their inner endsembracing said plug, stationary means on a fixed part of the device inthe path of the links for actuating said links to cause the hooks to bemoved upwardly of the housing in opposition to the resilient means assaid housing is raised to extract the spike, and means concurrentlyoperative to open the hooks for release of the spike when the housing isfully elevated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,771,712 Jimerson July 29, 1930 2,570,914 Buck Oct. 9, 1951 2,826,446Hursh Mar. 11, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 431,425 Germany July 9, 1926

